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 Bishop's
2008 Stewardship Letter
Dear Members of the Rockford Diocese,
During our celebration of this centenary, what I hope that we will all
realize is the gratitude we owe to Almighty God for the faith that He
planted here in northwestern Illinois that was so inspirationally
witnessed in the lives of our great-grandparents, grandparents, and
parents. That faith bore much good fruit over the last ten decades. We
have grown markedly in membership, priests, parishes, deacons and lay
leaders. We can point with pride to the system of high schools and grade
schools that were established.
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We are grateful for what they have done.
While it is appropriate to point with pride and to celebrate the
accomplishments during the last one hundred years, this centennial
celebration is also about the present and our future. Some critical
questions to ask ourselves would be:
Each generation is called to take up its own responsibility for the
well-being of the Church. The US Bishops stated in their 1992 Pastoral
Letter on Stewardship, “We all are stewards of the Church…stewardship of
the Church leads people to share in the work of evangelization,…in the
work of catechesis… and in works of justice and mercy.. Stewardship
requires support for the Church’s institutions and programs for these
purposes.”
You, the people of this diocese, have responded very generously to this
stewardship call not only in support of your parish and its ministries,
but also to the Church at the diocesan level. Through the gifts of many
peoples’ time, talent and treasure, our diocesan ministries, advisory
and consultative bodies are providing excellent quality services and
leading this local Church to a future in which more people are growing
closer and closer to the imitation of Christ.
Please generously make a pledge of prayer and financial commitment to
Diocesan Stewardship 2008. Thank you for all that you are able to do,
and know that many people benefit because of your generosity. You and
your families are always remembered in my daily prayers - as I ask for
your prayers.
With every good wish, I remain…
Cordially yours in Christ,
The Most Reverend Thomas G. Doran, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Rockford
We
are grateful for what they did...
Will they be grateful
for what we have done?
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Diocesan Stewardship 2008 Video
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2008 Diocesan
Stewardship Brochure in English
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2008 Diocesan
Stewardship Brochure in Spanish |
